Month: July 2015

I stopped in at Blue Collar Brewery in Poughkeepsie, New York for a beer. The Rye Pale Ale was what caught my attention. It was spicy – as influenced by the rye – especially in the beginning of a sip. Toward the end of the sip it became malty and buttery – the spice dissipated into a delicious flavor, almost sweet. This beer had a great deal of character and I’d enjoy it again given the opportunity and I’d recommend it to anyone.

I stopped in at Mill House Brewing Company in Poughkeepsie, New York for dinner and a beer. I actually tried a flight of five beer samples. The Buffalo Fried Brussels Sprouts appetizer were outstanding! Great flavor!. I enjoyed the Hubar IPA and Pine Tar best with these because the spiciness of both food and drink was perfect. For dinner I enjoyed the Grilled Swordfish which was deliciously paired with tabouleh and I preferred the cream ale and Kilt Spinner best with dinner. The beer I enjoyed most was the Pine Tar with spiciness and hints of pine. I hope to enjoy this beer again!

I made a second stop at Mill House Brewing Company and had another outstanding experience. This time I ate at the bar with colleagues. We had the great pleasure of chatting with owner Chris Crocco for quite a while this evening. He’s a great guy. So we shared a number of items this evening: fried pickle chips, fried chickpeas, smoked garlic sausage with pierogies and fig and pig pizza. EVERYTHING WAS DELICIOUS. Just FYI the sausages are all made in house and they have a number of them. I might try to get some to take home with me. The fig and pig pizza was exactly what it sounds like and it was sweet and awesome. I knew I wanted Pine Tar and it delivered – see above. I also tried Kold One Kolsch which was light and refreshing. And I ended the evening with Sexual Chocolate Stout and yes it is everything you can imagine but keeping this blog rated PG we’ll leave it at that.

I stopped in at Bellevue Brewing Company in Bellevue, Washington for dinner and a beer. I decided to go with the Cuban Sandwich and surprisingly it was better than the one I had at a Cuban restaurant back home recently. Delicious. The Rye IPA was the bartender’s recommendation and its spiciness paired wonderfully with the sandwich. Great food and drink.

Considering the name, Bad Jimmy’s Brewing in Seattle, Washington, I felt right at home. I tried the Habanero Amber and after that everything tasted like habanero. I like spicy things and this really delivered. I would have liked to enjoy the beer with some food. But time didn’t permit. I’m sure it would go wonderfully with a burger or many other entrees.

I stopped in at Reuben’s Brews in Seattle, Washington and tried the Robust Porter. I figured this would be the best bet since the origin of the porter is British and the owner is British and I wasn’t disappointed. You should try it.

I love the Stoup Brewing story which added to my enjoyment of Stoup Brewing in Seattle, Washington. So, I tried the Azacca Pale and the Citra IPA and from that point on have been trying to figure out how I can get this beer at home in Maryland. Given the option I’d make this my go-to IPA. And I’d serve the Azacca Pale to all my friends all the time. I wish I could have stayed and enjoyed more.

I couldn’t resist trying the Peanut Butter Stout at Lucky Envelope Brewing in Seattle, Washington. And, you guessed it, it was a nice smooth stout with hints of peanut butter. All I needed was a jelly sandwich to go with it. I also tried the Helles Lager which was crisp and refreshing on this warm summer day. Great beers.

I stopped in at Hale’s Pub and Brewery in Seattle, Washington and enjoyed the Cream Ale. This style is not necessarily one of my go to beers. However, the Hale’s Cream Ale is a fine example of this variety. Smooth as silk. And very drinkable.

I did a double-take at Fremont Brewing when I saw the ice box. Wow. A blast from the past. Very cool! No pun intended. I stopped in for a beer and enjoyed the Cask Summer Ale with the taste of juniper. Very nice. The Rye Saison was spicy as I like it. Pilsner was refreshing. In all, some great beers and a great place to enjoy them.

I stopped in at Elysian Brewing Company for lunch and a beer. The salmon patty burger was delicious along with the sweet potato fries – I highly recommend this. In terms of the beers, if I were to recommend one I’d go with Men’s Room Summer Gold. The bartender recommended this. I agree. It is delicious. Very drinkable. Pairs well with many types of food. A great beer for any time. It goes down smooth and easy. I tried several of the other beers and they were all tasty.